Illinois Valley Fire District photoCrews battle a house fire that claimed the lives of two people early Friday morning in Cave Junction.

Two dead in rural JoCo fire

BY Nick Morgan Mail Tribune...

A predawn house fire in rural Josephine County has claimed the lives of two people.

At 2:02 a.m. Friday, fire was reported at a one-story home in the 500 block of Mesa Verde Drive in Cave Junction, according to a Josephine County Sheriff’s Office press release.

Crews searched the burning structure and pulled out one woman, according to a press release issued by the Illinois Valley Fire District. Paramedics attempted to resuscitate the woman using CPR, among other measures, according to the fire district, but the rescue attempts were not successful. The woman was pronounced dead at the scene, according to the sheriff’s office.

After the fire was knocked down, rescuers found a man’s body inside the wreckage.

Names of the two deceased people have not yet been released. As of Friday afternoon, investigators were still working to identify and contact next of kin, according to the sheriff’s office release.

The State Fire Marshal’s Office and Oregon State Police are conducting the investigation as to the cause of the fire.

Other first-responders included Rural Metro Fire of Josephine County, Oregon Department of Forestry and American Medical Response.